The present invention relates to apparatus for sampling hazardous materials and more particularly relates to apparatus for the sampling of solid hazardous materials safely with minimal release of hazardous particulates.
Exposure of the lungs to asbestos is known to causes diseases including asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma. Unfortunately, before the connection between these diseases and asbestos was known, asbestos was used widely in construction materials and insulation for many years and its presence in buildings and private residences is a potential hazard. Applicable government standards now reflect the perceived risk from asbestos exposure. Accordingly, it is frequently necessary to sample solid materials suspected of containing asbestos to detect its presence so that exposure to such materials can be appropriately controlled.
While various apparatus for sampling solid materials are known, such apparatus have not always been suitable for the sampling of friable materials containing asbestos. One type of sampler is simply a sharpened tube with a handle which is capable of cutting a core of a solid material. However, the use of such apparatus can expose the user of the tool and others in the area to airborne particulates which are released during the sampling process. Another apparatus is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,754,655 which can greatly curtail the release of particulates since it is connected to a high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) vacuum device. In this tool, a sample canister is provided within a handle and a tubular coring member is used to cut a sample to be deposited inside the sample canister. A conical shroud is provided about the coring member and is supplied with vacuum from the HEPA vacuum cleaner to catch any particulates which are released.
The sampling apparatus disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,754,655, however, has several disadvantages. Because the coring member must be large enough to accommodate the sample cannister, it is large in diameter and has thick walls which make it difficult to penetrate far enough into the material to obtain a representative sample. With a tool of this type, it is especially difficult to sample "hard-style" asbestos containing insulation such as that used for pipe or vessel coverings. Moreover, the tool must be disassembled to remove the sample bottle which can then expose the user to asbestos or other hazardous material. This tool also has tight crevices which are difficult to clean and thus can cause accidental exposure to the hazardous material while the tool is being stored or being handled by the user when respiratory and other protective devices are not being worn.